


Night Fevers

by Liisiko



Category: Mad Max Series (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Nux Lives, Sickfic, Survivor Guilt, kink meme fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-29
Updated: 2015-08-29
Packaged: 2018-04-17 20:11:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4679813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liisiko/pseuds/Liisiko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>To be completely honest, Nux hadn’t exactly planned to survive. He’d pushed himself hard during the last few days, not thinking about what would come after because he didn’t think there would be an after for him. </p><p>If he stopped now he was going to crash and burn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Night Fevers

**Author's Note:**

> Kink meme fill for this prompt about Nux's night fevers:  
> http://madmaxkink.dreamwidth.org/450.html?thread=1075906

To be completely honest, Nux hadn’t exactly planned to survive.

Pretty much every possible outcome he could imagine for their desperate race back to the Citadel ended with him, and quite a lot of other people, dead. He’d been right about the other people part, but here he was, not even seriously hurt.

He wasn’t quite sure what to think of that. So much of his life had been spent waiting for the chance to die historic that it felt strange to have some important reasons to stick around for as long as he could.

Which led to his current predicament. Capable wanted him to stick around. Not just in the being alive sense, but nearby as well. With her. In her room.

They had control of the Citadel, and it looked like most everyone was willing to go along with that. Furiosa might be badly injured, and still weak from blood loss, but no one wanted to argue with a woman who has just killed a god.

All that same, the surviving Vuvalini were taking no chances. Most of them were camped out with her in the blood shed. Which worked out well enough considering that most of them were a little beaten up. After freeing the blood-bags, and getting patched up, the sisters hadn’t wanted to stay there. Furiosa didn’t argue. Just told them to be careful, and ordered Nux to go with them. Well, asked really, but the hard look she gave him made it an order anyway.

For lack of anywhere else to go, they went back to the vault. It was a long walk up to the top where the sisters had been kept. Nux hoped they didn’t notice how out of breath he was by the time they got up the last of the stairs. At least he wasn’t coughing too much.

When they reached the vault door Nux stopped and told them he would keep watch outside.

“Don’t you need rest too?”

“I’ll be fine. Slept back on the Rig.” He didn’t want to sleep. Couldn’t afford to now. He’d pushed himself hard during the last few days, not thinking about what would come after because he didn’t think there would be an after for him. If he stopped now he was going to crash and burn. “Besides, someone has to keep watch.”

“It can be someone who doesn’t look like they’ve got one foot in the grave,” Dag said.

“But-“

“No sense arguing, war boy,” Toast interrupted. “It’s safe enough here. I jammed the lock, so we can’t be trapped, and there’s the Milking Mothers and a herd of Pups between us and what’s left of your brothers. If anything were going to happen Furiosa would be the target, not us. Besides,” her expression softened slightly, “I can take first watch.”

Before he could come up with a response Capable grabbed his hand and led him inside. The vault was the cleanest, nicest place he had ever seen, full of so many interesting things he didn’t even know the words for, and a pool of aqua-cola. Just sitting there in the middle of the floor! But even a nice cage was still a cage. He could see why they hadn’t wanted to spend forever in here.

“It seems even smaller now,” Capable said quietly. Her grip on his hand tightened.

There were words written on the floor. He could read a bit, but it still took a moment for him to figure out what they said.

 _Our babies will not be warlords_.

Capable noticed what he was looking at. “Angharad did that before we left. Wanted to send a message.”

That sense of guilt washed over him again, so strong that he thought he might throw up. He didn’t kill her, not directly anyway. It was just a stupid, senseless accident. The kind of thing that happened to war boys all the time, all it took was one little misstep on a speeding rig and under the wheels you’d go, but it still bothered him.

He stared at the words till they all seemed to blur together.

“Nux?”

It wasn’t right that she was gone and he was still here. Wasn’t right that her baby wouldn’t grow up and not have to be a warlord. Wasn’t right that the Green Place they wanted to find so badly was just sour mud and crows. Wasn’t right that so many of his brothers had gone off to Valhalla without him. Even if Valhalla was probably just another lie. Wasn’t right that-

“Nux!”

  
He realized belatedly that Capable had been trying to get his attention for some time.

“Uh, sorry. What were you saying?” He tried to ignore the wave of dizziness from turning his head too fast.

“I was saying that the bedroom is over there.” She pointed to another doorway. “My bed is the second from the left. We can share if want.”

Just inside he could see more writing on the walls. ‘ _We are not things_.’ He looked away, not sure how to tell her that he did and didn’t want to. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be there, because he did. She and her sisters were so nice to him, even when he hadn’t deserved it. Being so close to her had been wonderful out on the road, but now he could feel the sick inside him clamoring for attention. He could feel it in the ache of his bones, in the pulse of his tainted blood, the way his thoughts were running over each other too fast. And it was going to get worse soon. He was in for a rough night and didn’t want Capable and her sisters to see. They were so healthy. So shiny and perfect. Surely they would be disgusted with his weakness.

“You can borrow mine instead, if you like,” Cheedo said quickly. “I was going to stay with Dag tonight.”

No one mentioned Angharad or Miss Giddy’s empty beds. It was too soon, too fresh a loss to think about what to do with their things, to acknowledge that they were really gone.

“Thanks,” he mumbled, sitting down on the one she pointed to. If they weren’t going to let it go, he might as well stop arguing. Besides, he wasn’t sure if he would be able to make it all the way back down the stairs without collapsing.

They’d see how rusted and useless he was, and throw him out in the morning. Unless, of course, he was really lucky and they didn’t notice.

He took off his boots and most of his belts and tools while they settled in for the night. It was nice to listen to them talk, almost familiar odd sort of way. Not so different from the bunks where the war boys slept. And it gave him something to think about besides the bad thoughts circling in his head. That was another sign. Not being able to keep his thoughts from drifting, not able to block out his worries and stop thinking about bad things.

A weight settled next to him. It was Capable looking at him with her concerned expression that made his stomach twist. “Is everything okay?” she asked, putting a hand on his cheek. It felt nice and cool against his too-warm skin. “You don’t have to stay if you really don’t want to.”

He looked away. “It’s nothing. I get sick sometimes during the night is all. Don’t want to bother you.”

Her hand slid down to his shoulder and squeezed gently. “Is there anything I can do? Do you need anything?”

It was so hard not to lean into her touch and beg for more. “Nothing anybody can do. Just something that happens.”

He would either get through the night or he wouldn’t. That was just the way things were for a half-life. Normally, he would just curl up in his bunk to wait it out.

“You sure?” she asked.

Slit would check on him during the night to make sure he was still breathing, or even hold him for warmth when it got really bad. But Slit was gone too, and even if he wasn’t would probably still be mad at Nux for traitoring him.

“Yeah. I’m okay.” Sure it was a lie, but it was a lie he told people a lot. No point telling her that his head was spinning and everything hurt right now. Capable could do a lot of things, but she couldn’t make him not be sick, so why bother her?

“Let me know if you need anything.” With that, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and retreated back to her own bed.

Once she was gone he stretched out cautiously. He didn’t bother with the covers, used to sleeping without, and not wanting to disturb anything more then he already had. The bed was almost too soft. Not meant for the likes of him. Still, he was worn out enough that exhaustion eventually won out over worry, and he was able to settle into an uneasy sleep.

 

* * *

  
Capable had only been asleep for a few hours when an unfamiliar sound woke her. She was almost ready to dismiss it as some fragment of a dream when she heard it again. She knew the sounds her sisters made, and this wasn’t them. It was however, the sound of someone moaning in pain. That had her sitting up and reaching for the bedside lamp almost before she'd fully processed the thought.

“Nux?”

He was curled up on his side, shivering violently, skin soaked in sweat. For a moment Capable almost hesitated. He’d said there wasn’t anything she could do, but she wasn’t going to leave him like this. When she hesitantly reached out to touch him, his only reaction was a faint whimper, and to curl in on himself a little tighter. He always felt a little too warm, but this was much worse.

“Nux?” Capable stroked his forehead gently, hoping he might take some comfort from it.

He stirred restlessly, murmuring in his sleep. She caught a few words here and there, ‘fire’ and ‘witness’, but it was mostly nonsense to her. What he was seeing? Judging by his distress, it obviously wasn’t a good dream. Should she try to wake him? It seemed cruel to just leave him like that, but she knew from experience that being shaken out of a nightmare wasn’t always easy either.

Before she could make up her mind, Nux snapped awake on his own with a ragged cry, eyes darting around the room, wild and unfocused.

When she reached for him again he reacted violently, flinching away from her in mindless panic. He fell off the edge of the bed, but didn’t seem to care, just scrambling back until his shoulders hit the corner. Once there he curled up, knees tucked up to his chin, arms around himself, like he was trying to take up as little space as possible.

“I’m sorry. I’ll be good. Please don’t throw me under the wheels. I’ll be good,” he babbled frantically.

“It’s okay. It was just a bad dream. I’m here. It’s okay.” Capable reached for him again.

Weakly, he batted her hand away, murmuring more disjointed nonsense and trying to press himself into the corner even more. He looked at her, but there was no recognition his wide, pale eyes, and he was still shuddering uncontrollably. Where ever he thought he was, it wasn’t here with her, and she didn’t know how to draw him back from where he’d gone.

She took a step back automatically, trying to decide what to do next. If he was so out of it that he didn’t recognize her she would need to be a lot more careful. She knew Nux wouldn’t intentionally hurt her, but he was stronger than he looked and could injure her, or even himself, without meaning to if he panicked enough to lash out.

As if the situation wasn’t already complicated enough, all the commotion had not gone unnoticed. She could hear her sisters moving around and asking questions, their voices overlapping as they all tried to talk at once.

“What’s going on?”

“He doesn’t look so good.”

“Does he ever?”

“Should we get someone?”

That Capable answered with a quick nod and waved them back, not wanting to divert her attention from Nux any longer than necessary. She had a better shot at getting through to him than anyone else did right now.

Someone, probably Toast since she had asked the question, got up and left the room.

Capable approached him a little more cautiously this time. Kneeling down an arm’s length away and moving slowly to avoid frightening him any worse. “Nux? It’s just me, Capable. I’m not going to hurt you. It’s okay-” She kept that up, talking to him in what she hoped was a soothing manner. Not thinking too much about what to say, just trying to give him something real to focus on.

Little by little, it seemed to work. That glassy, frightened look in his eyes faded and he seemed to be listening to her.

“Capable?”

It hurt how painfully uncertain he sounded.

“I’m here.” When she gently reached out and touched his knee she was relieved to see he didn’t flinch. Hopefully, that was a good sign.

“I shouldn’t be.”

“What do you mean?” Carefully, she sat down next to him.

“Was meant to die out there,” he choked out. “An’ other people that shoulda lived died! S’ not right that I’m still here and they aren’t!” His breathing hitched painfully, and he looked about to cry.

She pulled him into a hug and gently rubbed the back of his head, letting him get it out of his system. Angharad had done that for her. Back when she was the newest wife, still grieving the loss of her family. She had been the only one of them spared, the only one Joe had wanted to keep. So she knew full well what Nux was feeling. That painful sense of ‘why me?’ ‘why did I live and not them?’ Between survivor’s guilt and fever it was no wonder he was a bit of a mess right now.

Capable wasn’t sure how long it took, but she held him till he managed to get himself back under control, and lifted his head to look at her again. He still looked sick and exhausted, but seemed a little less confused and overwhelmed.

“Will you let me help you now?“ she asked. “We’d both be more comfortable back on the bed.”

He nodded, suddenly seeming much younger. When she held out a hand he took it, allowing her to pull him to his feet. Without being asked Dag moved to brace his other side and helped get him seated on the edge of the bed, leaning forward. Capable sat with him, one hand on his back, and listening to him breathe. There was a pained wheezing note to it that she didn’t like. At least he’d stopped shivering, but his skin was still burning hot and slick with sweat.

“Can I get you anything?”

He shook his head and mumbled something she didn’t catch.

“Need you to stay with me,” she said. “Toast went to get help.”

He closed his eyes again. “Nothin anybody can do. Half-lives don’t get better. Just get worse till we burn out.”

She lifted his chin and made him look at her. “Maybe. Maybe not. But I’m not letting you burn out tonight. Not for a while yet, if I have anything to say about it.”

He looked at her with that wide eyed, confused expression he got whenever she started talking about something he didn’t understand. Before he could answer Toast came back she had one of the Vuvalini in tow.

“Your boys’ sick?” The older woman didn’t wait for an answer before kneeling down to examine him. She prodded him until he focused on her. “Gonna need you to answer some questions. Think you can handle that?”

He nodded, still seeming a little surprised.

“Good. This happen often?”

“N-no. Usually run hot at night, but not always so bad.”

“Need you to tell me how you feel. Your head hurt?”

“A little.”

“You feel dizzy?”

“Yeah. Some.”

“Any nausea, vomiting?”

“Wha-“

“Are ya gonna throw up?”

“Don’t think so.”

She asked a few more question after that, looking him over as she went. Nux cooperated well enough. Answering as best he could and letting her examine him without complaint.

Eventually she stepped back. “Alright, boy. That’s enough for now. I can give you something for the fever, but the rest will have to wait till I get a better look at the stores your Organic Mechanic left behind.”

He nodded tiredly, leaning against Capable again as the Vuvalini left. Cheedo followed the older woman, asking questions as she went.

“Sorry,” he mumbled against her shoulder.

Capable pulled him into a gentle hug. “You don’t have to apologize. You can’t help being sick, and its okay to need help sometimes.”

Before he could answer they were interrupted by Cheedo. She had come back with a damp cloth. “Here. She said that this could help with fever.”

Capable took the scrap of cloth with a quick nod of thanks, and started trying to wipe away the sweat and remaining traces of warpaint on his face. Or rather, tried to. He immediately tensed and let out a soft, surprised sound.

“Sorry. I’m just trying to cool you down a little.” It was easy to forget how unused to kindness he was.

“’S okay. Just didn’t expect it, is all.”

“Want me to stop?”

“No. Cold, but feels kinda nice.”

When she tried again he leaned into the touch, seeming to relax slightly under the attention. “Better?”

He made a quiet noise of agreement and nuzzled against her shoulder.

Idly, she daubed the cloth over the V8 cut into his skin, wondering how long it had taken to complete and if he’d had any help carving it. She’d have to ask later when he was feeling better.

They stayed like that for a long time, she was unwilling to move and disturb him, and he was almost half asleep sitting up. The moment only broken by the Vuvalini from before returning carrying a glass with a murky liquid in it.

“Here,” she said. “Give’em this. Tastes awful, but it’ll help with the fever.”

Capable took the glass and nudged him till he lifted his head and focused on her. “I need you to drink this. After that you can go back to sleep.”

“Y-yeah, okay.”

He choked on the first sip, coughing violently. She steadied him through the fit, rubbing small circles on his back till it passed.

“Sorry. I know it’s bad, but it’ll help. I promise.”

When they tried again he was a little more successful, able to swallow the rest of it without a problem.

The Vuvalini took the glass back when he finished. “Nothing to do but wait now. You can go back to bed, girl. I’ll check in on him every few hours.”

She shook her head. “I’ll stay.”

“Fine with me. Yell if he gets any worse.” She went back out into the main room of the vault.

“You don’t have to stay,” Nux said so quietly she almost didn’t hear him.

“But I want to. I’m worried about you.”

“Really?”

It made her heart ache how surprised he sounded. “Yes, really. But if you want me to leave I will.”

“N-no! I just don’t wanna bother anybody.”

“Hush now, you aren’t bothering me.” She got him to lay back down, and pulled the blanked over them both. “Its okay. I’m not going anywhere.”

It took a moment for them both to get arranged comfortably, but eventually they ended up with him on his back as she settled against his side, head resting on his shoulder. It was surprisingly pleasant, even with how warm he was.

Nux fell asleep almost immediately, worn out by all the activity, but Capable lay away for a while longer, just listening to him breathe. It was steady and even, but she couldn’t entirely stop worrying. The Many Mothers had a few ideas for helping the War Boys and Wretched live longer and healthier lives. There was no telling if it might make a difference, but it was a possibility.

But if it didn’t…

Well, there was no sense thinking about that right now. All any of them could do was make the best of what they had. She held on to that thought and tried to get some rest.

 

* * *

  
When Nux awoke the next morning he didn’t feel nearly as bad. In fact, he actually felt mostly okay. Sure he still felt all the scrapes and bruises from getting thrown around in all the fighting during the last few days, and Larry and Barry were still pressing on his intake, but that was normal. Barely worth thinking about. He even felt a little steadier emotionally. He couldn’t change the past or the choices he had made, but he could bear the weight of his guilt, and he could resolve to do better.

Best of all, Capable was still there. Her head was on his chest, one arm flung carelessly over him. Good, he hadn’t been entirely sure if that part had been real. It had been almost too nice to really believe. He could only recall little pieces of last night, he’d been half out of his head for the rest of it. But apparently she really had been there. It really had been her soft, cool hands soothing him while he burned. He could remember her holding him while he shuddered with cold, and steadying him while someone asked questions and poked at him.

She’d made him choke down something bitter and gritty too. Said it would help. She must have been right about that part, considering that he wasn’t nearly as wrung out as he’d usually be after a bad night. He hadn’t expected that. All his life he’d been told that there was nothing anyone could do. That half-lives were doomed to suffering and death. That the only comfort they would ever find was in glorious death and ascending to Valhalla.

Did it really not have to be that way? Could things really be better? Not just for him, but all the other half-lives?

He was distracted from this train of thought by Capable shifting against him.

“Good morning,” he said, because somehow it really was.

She stretched lazily and smiled at him, her amazing hair hanging around her face in a wild tangle. “And good morning to you.” She put a hand to his forehead. “Looks like your fever is gone. Feeling better?”

“Much better.” Nux hated sitting still with nothing to do, but he could happily stay here with her laying on him like this all day if she wanted.

“Good.” Her smile faded. “You had us worried there for a while.”

“I’m sorry,” he said quickly, feeling the moments peace vanishing. He hated the idea of making her unhappy. Would rather throw himself from the top of the Citadel than be the reason she had that look on her face. “I didn’t mean to scare you. It’s not usually that bad, and I can go sleep somewhere else next time-“

“No. You don’t have to go anywhere.” Capable moved suddenly so that she was straddling him, pinning him down to look him straight in the eye. “I need you to understand that I’m not upset with you.”

“Y-you aren’t?” Having her on top of him like that was really nice, but a little distracting.

“Of course not. I was worried because I care about you. I don’t like it when you’re hurting and there isn’t much I can do about it, but I don’t mind looking after you when you need it. I’m free to make my own choices, and I want to have you in my life now.”

The sense of relief and acceptance that washed over him was a little overwhelming. To know he was actually wanted, not just tolerated because he was useful, was strange and wonderful.

“And…and I’ll look out for you whenever you need me, Capable.” He put an arm around her to pull her closer. “I-I want to be in your life too. For as long as I can.”

She kissed him again, this time on the lips. It wasn’t just a quick peck like the others they shared, but slow and lingering. It sent a sharp rush of heat all through him. Glory, but it was better than chrome, better that getting to drive the War Rig!

When they parted she rested her forehead against his. “We can both look out for each other now,” she said.

And he knew with a bone deep certainty that this was what he wanted. Even if the Vuvalini couldn’t stop the sickness, even if he was doomed to die soft with no Valhalla after, this was worth it. Being here with her was worth it. She and her sisters wanted to build a new world, and he wanted to help make that happen.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Let me know if there's anything I need to go back and fix. I've checked everything carefully, but I don't have a beta right now, and may miss things.


End file.
